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It is not only in elite sport where changes can be made, but at grassroots level too.<\/p>\n
That is what founder Katie Cross has been able to achieve through her research-driven charity Pledgeball.<\/p>\n
Founded in 2019 as a way to empower fans to make small changes through pledges that can have a direct impact on reducing carbon emissions, Pledgeball is the BBC Green Sport Awards 2024 Grassroots Organisation of the Year.<\/p>\n
“If we step back and look at what is happening around us, the loss of wildlife, the changing temperatures and impact that is already having, these are a series of dots that we will look back and wonder why we didn\u2019t act and act rapidly,” Cross said. <\/p>\n
“This change is not going to come from government and top unless we make a noise that we care and want change.”<\/p>\n
Last season, fans from more than 180 clubs took part with the collective pledge of over 62m c02e per year – the equivalent of taking more than 13,000 cars off the road.<\/p>\n
“We want this to become normalised across so many leagues so fans can really show that they care and take action,” Cross added.<\/p>\n
“I want that to accelerate systemic change so we see organisations, governments, businesses take the lead we all want to see to protect those things we all truly care about.”<\/p>\n
While consistently active in the football community, Pledgeball is increasingly partnering with other sports and organisations.<\/p>\n
In the past 12 months, it has introduced a sustainable travel charter to help clubs choose a more sustainable way to travel, delivered a workshop on fan engagement with environmental sustainability and worked with Uefa and the Biathlon International Union.<\/p>\n
“We can feel climate change is such a big issue that we cannot take part and so we turn off to it,” Cross said.<\/p>\n
“What Pledgeball does is show a clear way in which you can have an impact, illustrate what that is and help see you are a part of a huge community that also cares and wants to take action.<\/p>\n
“We get a lot of lovely feedback from fans to tell us they are so delighted that we are doing this, to keep on going – it is quite amazing.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n